Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-18

unsiructing Officers Of the District
Militia i'm Various Matters.

i
uns,ruc,ing officer. Of tie District
Militia in Various Matters.
COL BLcSr EXPLAINS THE SYSTEM OF RIFLE pRAc-
| T1cE-rHE GOVERNMENT AND TIE NATIONAL
GUAED-CoL- BIGKLow ON THE SCHOOL OF THE
| SOLDIER
Col. S. E. Blunt. of Gen. sheridan's stan, last
evening delivered an interesting lecture on the
of the rife before an assemblage at the washing
Ton Light Infantry Armory, composed OF the offi-
GERS OF the District National Guard. The speaker
| was introduced oy Gen. Ordway as the author OF
| "Blunt's Manual OF Rife Practice which has
been adopted for the use OF the Regular Army.
Gen. Ordway said that he intends the District Ma
tional Guard 10 become thoroughly acquainted with
the use OF the rifle Col Blunt prefaced his remarks
| by the statement that the United states Army
notices with considerable interest the increased
attention which the General Government is paying
10 tneN ational Guard In all the States. He said
that Tor years the growth OF the militia was re-
tarded oy the small annual appropriations for its
| support out now that 500 600 has been appro-
printed lt Is believed that before long the militia
VIII be placed on the same footing as the regular
army As an evidence OF the interest that is taken
/ In the matter by the General Government, Col.
Blunt referred TO the practice OF detailing a
| Regular Army officer to all encampments OF tne
informed NJ sh e 9ee 70 Keep b I ma and
what may be expected OF them should they be
called out TO defend the Union and also to render
things are done in the Regular Army.
| OF MUTuAL BENEFIT.
Col Blunt said that In the Regular Army there
are only few companies at post and the of1cers
at the remoter posts. who graduated since the
war, have probably never seen more than few
hundred men In line By the practice OF detMilng
Regular Army receives as much benent as IL gives
In anording It's officers experience In the use and
| movements OF large bodies OF troops Col. Blunt
i
Regular Army from the National Drill contests. as
gathering OF soldiers alone and said that among
the oncers OF the New York militia there Is move
I ment TO form joint annual meeting OF the Ma
| tlonal Guard. He called attention TO that part OIL
Cen snerldans recent report In which reference Is
\ made 10 the National Guard, and said that the
| United states Statutes contain a clause which
1 directs that the National Guard shall be
\ instructed in tactics and field exercises, among
which that OF rife practice is Included. col.
/ Blunt reiterated Gen. Ordway'S statement that
the rifle was made 10 Kill, and said that Is es-
sential that tine militia should be thoroughly &C
qualnted with the Use OF the rifle so that In case
OF a foreign Invasion or riot at home, where the
militia are called out to assist the Regular Army,
| lhey Will be able TO
RENDER EFFECTIVE AID.
While II Is not expected that every private soldier
Will become fine shot, still Il is necessary, with
the rifles In use at present, that Will Kill at dis
tance OF miles, that they should be able to direct
their aim in such manner that the shots will not
fly over The heads or their antagonists and XIII
| innocent and harmless women and children who
may be in the rear OF the enemy. Col
Various S 'O% Kinds Of D' ri HSA that have
| been in Use in the past thirty years,
and gave a short account of the origin Of rifle
| practice in the Army. Referring to the different
systems OF rife practice, Col Blunt said that his
| system follows that which Is prevalent In Ger
| many-of placing the instruction In the hands Of
the company commander. In the Regular Army
IL Is not cOntended that any great instruction in
the theory of rie practice shall be given the pri:
vate soldier but ft is intended that the officers
shall become acquainted with them, and see the
things that affect the fire or aim OF the SOLDIER so
that they can explain to the men the use OF the
| gun-sights, elevations, &C. Col Blunt then ex.
| planned the methods by which this Is accomplished
In the Regular Army. and how they can be adapted
sion, that the practice OF having annual rife con-
tests has had great effect In raising the disci-
pine OF the Army.
THE THANKsGIvING-DAY DRILL
Gen. Ordway then ordered the commanders Of
the different companies forming the District Ma.
tional Guard to have their commands assemble for
the drill on November "a rain or shine, uniforms or
no uniforms. No excuse will be accepted for aD-
sence, as 1t is his intention to take advantage Of
the only opportunity that is offered this year to
bring the men together and give the officers q
chance TO acQuaint themselves with the ordinary
movements and evoutions OF body Of soldiers.
In reference TO the parade In the afternoon he said
that II the weather Is favorable those who have
complete uniforms and equipments will be marched
up the avenue and through other streets, so as to
give the people chance 10 see them
THE SCHOOL OF THE SOLDIER.
Adjutant-General Bgelow then began TO In.
struct the officers in the school OF the soldier"
He said that there are two ways In which the tao
tics may be studied-one that OF the drill master
and the other that OF the tactcian. In the former
Instance the men are taught keep their heels to-
gether, eyes font, &c, without knowing the rea-
sons why they do these things. The tact1ctan
teaches his men the philosophy OF the different
movements, and therefore, Col BigelOw said, he
proposed TO adopt the tactician's method in In
structing the soldiers OF the District militia. He
said thai he intends going through the school Of
the soldier" with every soldier before permitting
him 10 enter the ranks
OFFICERS PRESENT.
The following were among the ofhcers present:
Major ". G. Moore, Capt Urell, Major Pollard,
Capt. Entwisle, Capt. Dalton, DR.. Stanton Lieut.
Ourand. Capt Mills Lieut. Beall Capt W. II. Muir
ply, Lieut. Cash, Capt. Miller, Capt. Ross Lieut.
Cowie Lieut.. Harrison, Lieut.. Wade, Major Fleet
wood, Major RevelS Capt. Brooks Capt. Myers, and
Major Crawford.